Budapest Attractions and 3-Day Itinerary

Europeone of the most beautiful cities in Macaristancapital of Budapest! For this wonderful city formed by the union of Buda (formerly Budin) and Pest, separated by the Danube River. places to visit in Budapest list and 3 day Budapest itinerary I prepared. In addition, this article includes all the information you will need when you are going to tour Budapest, such as Budapest currency, Budapest visa requirement, Budapest currency exchange. Happy reading!

Budapest Travel Video

You can watch the video of our Budapest trip below. Don't forget to like the video and subscribe to my channel!

Places to Visit in Budapest and Budapest Travel Plan Recommendation

It is necessary to evaluate Budapest as two parts, Buda and Pest. One side of the river is Buda, one side is Pest. We can also describe Buddha as the side of the castle. Buddha is the place we studied in history classes, known as Budin during the Ottoman period.

Budapest is not a very big city. If you trust your walking pace, you can walk around almost every place on the list of places to visit in Budapest. If you say you don't like walking, you can reach many places by tram or metro. In the meantime, I still recommend you to walk, because concept cafes, restaurants, galleries, private museums and pleasant streets suddenly appear in every corner of the city.

If you have only 3 days in Budapest like me, you will visit Pest on the first day, Buda on the second day, and Heroes Square and its surroundings on the third day. Budapest sightseeing route you can specify.

In the next part of the article, I share my suggestions for places to visit and my own route. Come on, let's travel together.

Budapest Trip Day 1: Places to Visit in Buda 

Depending on the side of the city you are staying, you can reverse the starting point so that it is Buda instead of Pest. Since I stayed on the Pest side, I started my trip from Deak Ferenc Square. From here, we will quickly move to the Buda side and continue our tour on that side.

Deak Ferenc Square

You know, in every city there is a square where all roads intersect, that is Deak Square. If you look for places to visit, night life, you will first come across this square.

Ferris Wheel | Budapest Eye

There is a large park on the river side of Deak Square. There is a huge Ferris wheel in this park. Although it used to be one of the touristic activities in Budapest, it has lost its popularity recently. If you want to get on this Ferris wheel called Budapest Eye and go back to your childhood with Budapest view, why not!

Deak Ferenc Street

Deak Ferenc Street, the street descending from the square to the river, is also the street where the city's luxury shops are located. The beautiful thing is, as you can see in the photo below, there is a colorful market with street vendors, you can fill your stomach economically. It was there this Sunday when I went in the fall, it wasn't there when I went in the winter. When the weather is cold in winter, most of the street markets are closed in Budapest.

st. Stephen's Cathedral

This is the largest and most impressive cathedral in the city. If you wish, St. You can climb the bell tower of St. Stephen's Cathedral and enjoy the view of Budapest. Tower exit is of course chargeable. Entrance to the church is also 1 euro.

Little Prince Statue

When we reach the river by continuing on Deak Ferenc street, we turn towards the Chain Bridge to go to Buda Castle.

In many parts of Budapest, you will come across many statues on street corners. The Little Prince Statue is one of these statues. There is also a beautiful view of Buda Castle from its location.

Chain Bridge

One of the 3 main bridges in the city center is the Chain Bridge. The most popular and most beautiful is this bridge. You will probably cross this bridge a few times while visiting Budapest.

Ropeway

When you cross the Chain Bridge to the Buda side, a cable car greets you right across the street. You can use this cable car to go up the hill where Buda Castle is located. You can see the real beautiful view of the cable car from above, it doesn't look like much from below 🙂

The cable car departs every 07-30 minutes between 22:00 and 5:10. 1200 HUF one way, 1800 HUF round trip.

Prices are quite high. We preferred to go up and down the castle on foot. We went out from the side of the castle overlooking the Gellert hill and descended from the side facing the island of Sziget, so we saw different places and did not pay any money.

Janissary Tombs

One of the reasons we entered Buda Castle from the side of Gellert Hill was that we learned that there were Janissary Tombs on that side. These tombs were found by chance and were surrounded and protected. There is only information that there is a grave of Turkish soldiers on a plate in front of the cemetery.

There is a path that passes right under the cemetery, and they named this path Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Street.

Buddha Castle

When you go to Buda Castle, many different buildings will welcome you. The National Gallery of Art is one of the most impressive buildings. The most beautiful thing when you get here is the view of the Danube river and the Parliament Building opposite.

National Gallery

Make sure to go to the back section of the National Gallery, outside the building you will see a huge statue telling a hunting story, a very beautiful and impressive piece of work.

Royal Palace

The Royal Palace is another of the buildings inside Buda Castle. The soldiers in front of the palace and the exchange ceremony of the soldiers attract attention here, as in many other places.

House of Houdini

One of the interesting spots inside the castle is Houdini's house. A quick reminder for those who don't remember Houdini, there was a magic show about locking yourself up, chaining yourself, and getting out of there in a certain amount of time.

The entrance fee is 8 euros, and there are pieces from Houdini's shows inside.

st. Matthias Church 

The most magnificent and beautiful church inside Buda Castle is St. Mathias Church. There is a fee for the church entrance and exit to the tower. The church entrance was 1800 HUF, I couldn't remember the tower exit, but it was around 2 euro.

Fisherman's Bastion

The Fisherman's Bastion is one of the most photographed places in Budapest. Among the columns in the bastion, the photos of the parliament building are the ones we see the most. This place was built for aesthetic purposes only. It is certain that it looks beautiful both when looking at the front view of Buda Castle and from the castle to the other side.

If you continue inside the Buda Castle, you will be greeted by the streets decorated with colorful buildings, each more beautiful than the other. Therefore, spend a lot of time in the castle area so that you can enjoy these streets.

The National Archive building at the end of the street looks very beautiful with its roof resembling the roof of St.Mathias Church. After passing the archives, the Military Museum is among the places to be seen again.

The Buddha Tower, which used to be a church but now only its tower remains, is among the places to be seen in the castle area. There is also an exit to the tower.

Gul Baba Tomb

We left the northern gate of Buda Castle and continued towards Gül Baba Tomb. Gül Baba lived here when he was a Bektashi Dervish, got the nickname Gül Baba because roses were grown on the hill where he is located, and now the place where his tomb is located has been restored and opened to tourism. There is also a museum on the lower floor of the tomb that you can visit for free. The museum contains information about both Gül Baba and Ottoman life in Budapest. I'd say definitely see it.

We entered Gülbaba Tomb from the lower entrance, if you exit from the top, Gül Baba Street is an old settlement and the houses in that area are being restored, it seems like a street that will become more beautiful in time.

The area where you start descending from the tomb to the river is actually the area where there was a dense Ottoman settlement. The ruins of the Turkish Bath are also waiting for you here.

Sziget Island

If you have landed on the Danube bank, you can cross over to Pest again from the Margaret Bridge that comes in front of you. The island on the left is Sziget, the famous music festival Sziget is held on this island every year. There are also thermal spas on the island.

We packed so many places in one day, but it wasn't enough. We went back to the Buda side to take photos of the illuminated Parliament building at night. This time, we took the metro to Batthyany Square, just opposite the parliament building, and took our photos and came back. Your fingers may freeze while taking pictures at night in the middle of winter, be careful 🙂

Budapest Trip Day 2: Places to Visit in Pest

After spending the first day walking mostly on the Buda side, we visit the Pest side, which has a flatter walking route on the second day! If you're ready, let's start!

Parliament Building 

The Budapest Parliament Building is the most iconic structure in Budapest. You can see this beautiful building in almost every Budapest photo. Especially the night lighting is very nice, we didn't shiver for nothing the night before 🙂

Guided tours are organized inside the Parliament Building. However, we chose not to enter because the tour price was a little high for us. Tour price; If you are a citizen of a member country of the European Union, we can say that the entrance fee is 2400 HUF, if you are not, the entrance fee is 6000 HUF, about 20 euros.

Every year on October 23, the day of the Hungarian Revolution, entry to the Parliament Building is free for everyone. If you come across this date, try your luck.

There is a cafe at the entrance of the parliament building, you can come here for breakfast or coffee.

Ethnography Museum

Behind the parliament building is another building as beautiful as the parliament building. This is the Ethnography Museum. The entrance fee is 1400 HUF.

Holocaust Memorial

If you walk along the Danube to the Chain Bridge after seeing the parliament building, you will see iron shoes on the river bank. These shoes were made in memory of those who lost their lives in World War II. In 2, thousands of Jews were forced to take off their shoes and jump into the Danube. The Holocaust Memorial is waiting for you on the banks of the Danube so that this massacre is not forgotten, you must see it.

Since the riverbank is cold, we dive into the city again. Fortunately, the side streets cut the cold a little bit.

Great Synagogue 

Our next stop is the Great Synagogue. The synagogue, which also has a cemetery, is quite large. It is quite striking from the outside with its onion domes. It's the biggest synagogue in Europe, as it's called, and my first reaction when I saw it was "I've never seen such a big synagogue".

The entrance fee here is also paid, the entrance fee for adults is 16 euros. Cemetery, museum, synagogue trips are included in this price.

National Museum

If you continue towards the Green Bridge from the Great Synagogue, you will see the National Museum on the left. You can enter the museum to learn about Budapest and Hungarian history. The entrance fee is 1600 HUF, or 5 euros.

Metropolitan Ervin Szabo Library

When you continue towards the river from the National Museum, you will see lively streets on the right. If you have time, go in and out of these streets. There is a beautiful library building in the continuation of the street where you see a mobile library at the beginning of the street. The yellow building in the photo below is the library, it is more beautiful inside than outside, we could not enter because it was closed when we went. It's closed on Sundays.

Central Market Hall – Indoor Market Place

One of my favorite features of Europe is the covered market places that are always open. Budapest's big market is also a beautiful market place where you can find many Hungarian products, buy souvenirs, and eat Hungarian dishes. This market place is also closed on Sundays, if your trip coincides with that day, be careful.

Green Bridge

Even though it is overshadowed by the Chain Bridge, the Green Bridge is one of the beautiful bridges that connects the two sides of Budapest. You can walk across the bridge, it gives very nice photos.

Gellert Hill

When you cross the Green Bridge to the Buda side, you will see the Gellert Hotel on the left. This is one of the 3 famous thermal resorts in Budapest. On the right is Gellert Hill. If the weather is nice, going up the hill is a nice option, there is both the view and the Statue of Liberty above.

If you don't want to climb up, you will see a cave church when you climb a few meters. There is a statue of a saint in front of the church. The view of the Green Bridge from here is quite beautiful.

Vaci Utka Street 

We come back from the Green Bridge and this time we go to Vaci Utka Street, which is the most lively and longest street in Budapest. A long street closed to traffic, full of cafes, restaurants and souvenir shops, this street is definitely more active in summer.

Gozsdu Udvar Passage 

I told you how enjoyable it is to explore the streets of Budapest, and that there are many concept venues in the city. Gozsdu Udvar Passage, although not as long as Vaci Utka, is a long passage, passing through several buildings, and there are many cafes and restaurants of different concepts throughout the passage. Jamie Oliver's famous pizzeria is one of these places.

In addition, a market where second-hand goods and souvenirs are sold is also set up in the passage on Sundays.

Szimpla Kert

When we leave one end of the passage, we reach one of the lively areas of Budapest's nightlife. Many streets between Kiraly Street and Rakoczi Street host various venues. You can come to this area to eat or drink something at night. Budapest's famous Ruin Bars (deserted buildings turned into bars) abound in this area, the most famous of which is Szimpla Kert for a beer.

Budapest Trip Day 3: Places to Visit around Heroes' Square

We reserved our third day in Budapest for the spa. The largest and most popular spa in the city. Szechenyi Hot Spring and its surroundings Ideal for the last day itinerary. You can get rid of the tiredness of three days and say goodbye to the city happily.

You can easily reach this area by taking the metro at Deak Square. You can get off at the Hösök Tere (Heroes Square) stop and walk to the places I mentioned below.

City Park 

There is a city park starting from Heroes' Square and covering a huge area, including the Vajdahunyad Castle and the bar of the Szechenyi Hot Spring. The park, which is full of people walking and doing sports in nice weather, is quite calm in the winter months.

In summer, it is possible to travel with tiny boats in a pond in the park and the moat surrounding the castle.

In winter, the section with the moat behind the castle is used as an ice rink.

There is a cemetery in the park and a mosque next to the cemetery. I couldn't find any information about the name of the mosque, it would be great if anyone with information writes it in the comment section.

Vajdahunyad Fortress

Another castle in Budapest is the Vajdahunjad Castle. Although not as impressive as Buda Castle, it is a beautiful castle spread over a large area. You can climb the tower of the castle or visit the museum.

Heroes Square 

Home to two large museums on both sides, Heroes' Square, where the statues of Hungarian heroes are located in the big square in the middle, is quite magnificent with its statues and museums.

Szechenyi Hot Spring 

You can even come to Budapest just to see its hot springs. There are thermal facilities of various sizes all over the city. One of the oldest and most popular of these is Szenhenyi Hot Spring. Having an outdoor pool is the biggest advantage in my opinion.

The entrance fee is 20 euros, if you want a cabin, you pay 1 euro for it. After that, you can stay as long as you want. They have both indoor and outdoor pools, but I preferred the outdoor pools on both my visits.

When you enter the old building and get ready, you can go to the section where the pools are. There are 3 main pools outside. The pool you see in the photo below is the hottest pool, there is an olympic pool in the middle where people swim. You must have a cap to enter the Olympic pool. The last pool is a fun pool, there is a rotating pool like a Ferris wheel, a boiling pool like a jacuzzi and plenty of fountains. There are images in our Budapest travel video, be sure to check it out.

Andrassy Street

Andrassy Street is a nice street or even a boulevard to walk if you want to walk in Szechenyi after feeling like cotton. The street, which is decorated with batok buildings on the left and right, is similar to our Bagdat Street. Stylish shops, beautiful hotels, art galleries continue along the street.

Opera building

Budapest Opera House is located on Andrassy Street. The first time I went to Budapest, I had the opportunity to go inside, but on my last visit, even the exterior was closed due to restoration.

miniversum 

Miniversum is again a museum on Andrassy Street. But not from the museums we know. It is a place where all the iconic buildings of Budapest in the size of Lego are built and exhibited. Imagine Miniatürk even smaller. It can be fun, especially for kids. Admission is 3000 HUF for adults and 2100 HUF for children.

Number 2 Tramway

In this 3-day plan, you must Number 2 TramwayI suggest you take a short tour of the city. It is a kind of sight-seeing tour as it passes in front of many important buildings in the city.

River Tours

You can also consider joining the day and night tours on the Danube. I don't prefer these kinds of activities because I like to see them up close instead of from afar, if you do, Budapest looks very beautiful especially at night.

The “Best” of Places to Visit in Budapest

• Best bar in Budapest: Bars on Szimpla or Kazincy Street
• Best nightclub in Budapest: Otkert
• Best places to eat in Budapest: Gozsdu Udvar
• Best cafe in Budapest: Cafe New York or Gerbaud
• Budapest's shopping street: Vaci Utka
• The best spa in Budapest: Szechenvi, Rudas and Gellert Hot Springs

Where is Budapest, How to Get to Budapest?

There are many flight options from Turkey to Budapest, the capital of Hungary, located in Eastern Europe. in your passport schengen visa If so, you can find cheap flight tickets from Pegasus, THY. I think you should start looking right away 🙂 Airline companies often make discount campaigns and Budapest is usually included in these campaigns.

If you want to make a small-scale Eastern Europe trip; It is also possible to reach Budapest by bus and train from nearby capitals such as Prague, Vienna, Bucharest, Bratislava and Belgrade.

My first Budapest trip was on a route starting from Budapest and going through Romania from there. For the route and costs of that trip Costs of my Hungary-Romania trip You can also check out my post.

For transportation suggestions to the city center when you arrive in Budapest by plane, Transportation from Budapest Airport to the city center  My post will also be helpful to you. 

Budapest Currency

Budapest uses the Hungarian Forint as its currency, as does all Hungary. The international abbreviation for the Hungarian Forint used as currency in Budapest is HUF.

If you are planning a trip to Budapest or Hungary, you can easily find out the value of HUF against the euro and TL through apps like XE Currency.

As if the Euro's appreciation against TL was not enough, the Forint has also appreciated against the Euro in recent years, so our currency has become quite worthless in Budapest. I could clearly see this difference between my two visits.

Exchange Money in Budapest

I advise you to be careful about exchanging money in Budapest. Exchange rates are different from each other in each exchange office, not only the exchange rate difference but also the commission figures are an important issue. While some of the exchange offices do not take commission, some of them take commissions at different rates.

First of all, stay away from the orange exchange offices. There is a serious gap between buying and selling in those offices. The rate is too low.

Do not exchange money at the Budapest airport or train stations, the exchange rate is very low.

The best exchange rate in Budapest I came across at the exchange office at number 1 Kiraly Utca Street, just across Deak Square. Both the commission is low and the exchange rate is good. There are already long queues in front of it.

Where to Stay in Budapest

If you ask where to stay in Budapest, Budapest consists of 23 main regions. These regions start from the city center and grow from 1 to 23 outwards. If you prefer the city center for accommodation in Budapest; You can choose zones 1, 2, 3, 5 or 7. We stayed in an apartment in the second district. We arranged the apartment we stayed in through Booking.com.

Does Budapest Require a Visa?

Budapest is one of the cities you need to go to by obtaining a visa. Since Budapest is within the borders of Hungary, which is located in the Schengen area, when coming to Budapest Visa of schengen you need to take

All Budapest Travel Posts

• If you ask where to visit when you go to Budapest; places to visit in Budapest
• To learn what to eat and where to eat in Budapest; What to eat in Budapest?
• If you want to see Budapest live; Budapest sightseeing video
• If you ask what we will do when we land at Budapest Airport; Budapest Airport
• The costs of my trip from Budapest to Romania; Budapest > Braşov > Bran > How Much Did a Trip to Bucharest Cost?

Stay on track.